Da'an (大安) is leafy, residential, university Taipei: the part of the city where people actually live, eat and study. For visitors it means three things: Yongkang Street, a compact food street where the first Din Tai Fung opened; Da'an Forest Park, the city's big green lung; and the student neighborhoods of Shida and Gongguan to the south, with cheap eats and a night market. It is a lovely place to spend a slow day, and a very pleasant place to stay.
- MRT Dongmen Station (Red Line, R07 / Orange Line, O06) for Yongkang Street; Da'an Park Station (Red Line, R06); Taipower Building (G08) and Gongguan (G07) on the Green Line for Shida and Gongguan
- Best time any time; Yongkang Street at lunch, Gongguan in the evening
- How long half a day to a full day
Getting there
For Yongkang Street, take the Red Line or Orange Line to Dongmen Station (R07 / O06); the street starts on Xinyi Road beside the station. Da'an Forest Park has its own station one stop east, Da'an Park (R06). For the south, the Green Line stops at Taipower Building (G08) for Shida and Gongguan (G07) for National Taiwan University and the night market.
What to see
Yongkang Street (永康街). A short street and its side lanes running south from Xinyi Road, packed with restaurants, dessert shops, tea shops and small boutiques, around a little neighborhood park. It is a food street first: come hungry and graze.
Da'an Forest Park (大安森林公園). About 26 hectares of trees, lawns and ponds in the middle of the city, opened in 1994. Locals jog, walk dogs and practice tai chi here, and it is the best free place in Taipei to sit under a tree. Da'an Park Station (R06) is on its east side. → More of Taipei's parks and riverside paths
Shida (師大). The streets around National Taiwan Normal University, centered on Shida Road, are full of cheap restaurants, cafes and small shops aimed at students. It is a short walk south of Yongkang Street, or from Taipower Building Station (G08).
Gongguan Night Market (公館夜市). The student night market outside National Taiwan University, by Gongguan Station (G07). → Gongguan Night Market on NightMarket.tw
Treasure Hill Artist Village (寶藏巖國際藝術村). Just across the district line in Zhongzheng, a hillside of self-built houses above the river, now an artist village with studios, exhibitions and views. Walk from Gongguan Station, Exit 1.
- Hours: outdoor areas Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 to 22:00; indoor spaces 11:00 to 18:00. Closed Mondays.
- Address: No. 2, Alley 14, Lane 230, Section 3, Tingzhou Road, Zhongzheng District.
- MRT: Gongguan Station (Green Line, G07), Exit 1.
Where to eat
- Din Tai Fung (Xinyi Road) (鼎泰豐 信義店), at No. 277, Section 2, Xinyi Road, at the top of Yongkang Street. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand. Michelin notes the chain's first shop opened here in 1972; the original shopfront is now takeaway only, and you eat across the street in a 330-seat dining room opened in 2020. Order the soup dumplings (xiao long bao), sweet and sour pork, bitter melon and pork rib soup, and steamed taro buns. Expect a queue.
- Hang Zhou Xiao Long Bao (杭州小籠湯包), at Nos. 17 and 19, Section 2, Hangzhou South Road, between Dongmen Station and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand. A no-frills dumpling shop: soupy pork xiao long bao that are flavourful without being greasy, and spicy stinky tofu if you are brave.
→ The MICHELIN Guide in Taipei
A short walking order
- Lunch at Din Tai Fung or around Yongkang Street (Dongmen Station).
- Walk east along Xinyi Road to Da'an Forest Park for a rest in the shade.
- Take the MRT or walk south to Shida for coffee.
- Continue to Gongguan: Treasure Hill before 18:00, then the night market.
Good to know: Treasure Hill is closed on Mondays. → Xinyi for the other Taipei 101 side of town
→ All neighborhoods · Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (a short walk west of Yongkang Street)
Sources
Restaurants from the MICHELIN Guide 2026 Bib Gourmand list: MICHELIN Guide: Din Tai Fung (Xinyi Road), MICHELIN Guide: Hang Zhou Xiao Long Bao (Da'an). Da'an Forest Park's size and opening from Taipei Travel. Treasure Hill hours and directions from Taipei Artist Village. Station codes from the Taipei Metro station list. Checked October 2026.